The Other Side of Slytherin
by abomb30
Summary: Many of the Slytherins fought on the side of You-Know-Who. Julius Knight didn't. This is the story of Slytherin House from the other side. They weren't all on the Dark Side. Features an (hopefully decent) OC.
1. Chapter 1

**The Other Side of Slytherin**

**Chapter 1**

**Fall of the Dark Lord**

Fabius Knight never liked the stigma attached to his family name. Of course everyone knew about the Weasleys and Fabius remembered Sirius Black (at least until Black turned to the dark side) and a few others from his time at Hogwarts, but many people assumed, because he was a pureblood from an old family, that he had the same contempt for muggles that many others held. It didn't help that he had been in Slytherin at the time as many of those who, both then and now, called themselves Death Eaters. It was a name he found rather pretentious, if he was being honest. Besides that, there had been a few Knights through the years who had held to some anti-muggle sentiments, but Fabius himself was more concerned with talent and intelligence than whatever amount of magical blood a person might have.

He had also married a pureblood from a family that did traditionally support blood purity, so he could see where people might have the idea affirmed. But he loved Verbena Fairbourne (who rejected the views of her parents) and she loved him, so they were married after he got his first job. Two years later, she was pregnant with their child and he was working for the Ministry of Magic. His life's ambition was to a position in Magical Law Enforcement, and he was currently on the bottom of that ladder. He wanted to eventually become the head of the department, though he was also considering something in international magical law. For now he was just building his network of contacts in the Ministry and trying to keep his head down so as not to be labeled a blood traitor. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did not hold a very high opinion of those he saw as blood traitors, and Fabius had his wife and unborn child to think about. As long as he didn't actively campaign against the muggles, he couldn't be held responsible for what You-Know-Who or his Death Eaters did. At least that's what he told himself. Deep down he knew he was just being cowardly, but he never pretended to be an especially brave man. He wasn't a Gryffindor, after all.

Their son Julius was born In January of 1980. Fabius and Verbena were thrilled at the bright spot that shone even in the darkness that was the current oppressive climate. By 1980, some other wizards started to realize that Fabius had sympathies towards muggleborns and muggles and he had to be much more careful while he was at work. Even though Millicent Bagnold, the Minister of Magic, and Barty Crouch, the head of department, were against You-Know-Who, two of his direct superiors were supporters of the Dark Lord. Thus, he could not be especially overt about his lack of "blood pride," as his superior called it. He considered going above them to Mr. Crouch or another member of the department, but he did not want to give any dark wizards reason to come after his family. Once again he cursed his lack of courage, but pragmatism won out.

A year later, at the end of October, Fabius' day started like any other. He was looking forward to getting home, since it was to be Julius' first Halloween since his age was measured in years instead of months. Fabius had always enjoyed Halloween as a child, since it was his father's birthday and his father typically took Fabius and his sisters Leanna and Lysistrata out for ice creams every year. Because of this, Fabius decided he wanted his own son to experience the same love for Halloween he had.

Fabius arrived at work in the morning at the normal time. He liked getting to work at 9 o'clock every morning. Some of his fellow wizards complained about the routine of working for the Ministry, but for Fabius it wasn't so much routine as it was comfort and familiarity. He didn't like unexpected changes to his day. Well, he usually didn't. He was to get some unexpected news that day, but this news was the most welcome news he had ever heard.

At 9:43, Fabius was sitting in a courtroom in the lower levels of the Ministry of Magic acting as the scribe for a case involving some stolen potion ingredients. The accused was, and Fabius sighed when he walked in, Mundungus Fletcher again. The man was still young, only 19, almost too young to be before the Magical Law Enforcement Department. This was not the first time he had been here, and it was not the first time Fabius was stuck acting as the scribe in his trial. He started to tune out what was going on, trusting his quill to record everything that Fletcher and the judge, a middle-aged witch named Titania Moon, said. As Fabius was on the verge of falling asleep in the hot, stuffy courtroom, the door slammed open and a young blonde wizard Fabius didn't recognize ran in. He was wheezing and gasping for air, as if he had run all the way down the stairs to the courtroom. Fabius snapped back to attention and heard Titania tell an assistant to give the man some water. When he had recovered enough to talk, Fabius heard him gasp out what was possibly the most wonderful news he could have imagined.

"You-Know-Who…he's fallen. Just got word. Went to Godric's Hollow. Supposed to have attacked the Potters. They're saying he's dead." Fabius couldn't believe his ears. And apparently neither could Moon.

"You can't possibly be serious."

"I am serious. The Dark Lord has fallen." Moon looked stunned. Fabius imagined his face must have looked very similar. Fletcher began to inch toward the door and Moon didn't even bother to stop him. A small part of Fabius' mind recalled that Fletcher had been connected to the Order of the Phoenix, the anti-You-Know-Who resistance movement. Fabius could only figure that the Order would no longer be necessary if what their guest said was true. Moon seemed to come back to herself.

"Fletcher, you're free to go. Everyone is free to go. Take the rest of the afternoon off everyone. Go be with your families." She sounded choked up. Fabius knew she had three living children and he recalled with some guilt that her husband and her oldest son had been killed a few years previously by the Death Eaters. Still in somewhat of a daze, he stowed his quill, ink, and parchment in the desk where he sat and stood up to leave the room. He heard a voice before he did.

"Knight." He turned to face Titania Moon.

"Yes ma'am?"

"I understand your son is just over a year old."

"Yes ma'am."

"Go home to be with him. Celebrate with your family. Family…family is important." He saw that she was close to tears.

"Yes ma'am." He didn't know what else to say. Moon was his superior and it would be unseemly for him to remain to see her cry. He turned and left the room.

Ten minutes later, after much hustle and bustle and people asking him if this was really happening, Fabius finally made it to the door. He walked outside. This didn't feel real. He felt as though he was dreaming the most wonderful dream imaginable. You-Know-Who, fallen. He was free. Free to stop being such a coward. Free to raise his son not to be ashamed of Slytherin House. The Dark Lord was defeated and the wizarding world was free. Fabius turned on the spot and vanished.

He reappeared in the village of Puddlemere. The village had apparently received the same news Fabius had. Everywhere around him Fabius saw people celebrating. News had apparently made it to Puddlemere before it had reached the Ministry. As he looked around the town square, Fabius realized that the wizards of the village weren't even bothering to keep themselves secret from the muggles. Fabius couldn't blame them, and even planned to join them later. A number of muggles in Puddlemere already knew about magic just because they lived in close proximity to so many witches and wizards. And besides, Puddlemere was home to one of the most popular Quidditch teams in Britain. Puddlemere was a village where the International Statue of Secrecy wasn't strongly enforced.

Before Fabius joined in the celebration, he headed straight for home. He needed to make sure that his wife and son had heard the good news. He was sure they had, but he wanted to be there to celebrate with them. He pushed through the crowd to his own house and opened the door. He heard movement from the sitting room. He heard Julius speaking in his incomprehensible baby talk. He had learned a few words at this point, but he was still just a baby and was only just starting to walk. Fabius called out to his wife.

"Verbena?" He heard her stand up and walk down the hall. A few moments later she reached him. Verbena Fairbourne was a tall, dark-haired woman with bright blue eyes and somewhat sharp features that belied her cheerful, friendly nature. When she saw Fabius, she ran up to him and kissed him. After she pulled away, she spoke before he did.

"Have you heard the news?"

"Of course dear, it's why I'm home so early." He pulled her closer and she rested her head on his shoulder. Verbena was tall, but she was still several inches shorter than Fabius, who was over six feet tall. They stood like that for a minute or two before Verbena spoke again.

"Will we be safe now?"

"I hope so. He likely still has supporters on the loose. I don't think your cousins have been taken in yet, and neither have Yaxley or Travers."

"I'm worried they might try to hurt Julius. Or worse." Her voice was shaky.

"Dear, I don't pretend to be a brave man. You and I both know that. But if Yaxley, Travers, or the Carrows try to hurt our son, I will do whatever I must to protect him." She squeezed him.

"I know, but it doesn't stop me from worrying." Fabius stroked her hair.

"That will be something we can deal with later. They dare not make any sort of move today. Let's go and celebrate with our son."

"Of-of course." She released him and they went to the sitting room where Fabius saw his son chasing their cat around the carpet. Verbena picked him up. He reached out for the cat once more and said "Dada." Fabius looked at his son. Julius was a bit skinny for his age, as Fabius was told he had been as a baby. His hair was the same color as mother's, but Fabius guessed he would resemble his father as he grew up. Fabius couldn't resist a smile. This was his son. His pride and joy. His future. And Fabius would be able to raise him in a world free from the Dark Lord. He smiled at his wife.

"Time to join the celebration."

And so they did.

**Blanket Disclaimers-**

**1) I do not, of course, own the rights to anything Harry Potter related.**

**2) I am an American, and as such am not going to get things 100% correct with regard to British slang, culture, etc. Apologies in advance for any Americanisms that slip in to the story.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**10 Years Later**

Julius Knight was growing up fast. He was already eleven years old and he was taller than most of the other boys in the village of Puddlemere. He was getting wider too. He wasn't fat, because his parents wouldn't let that happen, but he was big around the shoulders. His hair was as dark as his mom's and much darker than his sister's.

Besides being bigger than most boys his age, Julius was fairly typical. He loved watching Quidditch matches (Puddlemere United, of course). He liked sweets and crisps. He made fun of his little sister Cassandra, but didn't let anyone else make fun of his sister. He was waiting very impatiently to get his letter to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He was really looking forward to getting a wand.

He was, of course, only typical for a wizard his age. His friend next door, Kevin Hedge, wasn't like that at all. Kevin was a muggle, so he didn't understand why Julius was so excited to be going to school in the fall. Julius wished he could tell Kevin about Hogwarts, but his dad always said that Julius would get in trouble for it.

It was January 18. Julius was up early that day, but not earlier than his dad. He ran downstairs to the kitchen where his dad was making some toast. Julius was tall, but he was still only half as tall as his dad. Julius was about to say good morning to his dad when he tripped over Ulysses, their tabby cat. Ulysses hissed and ran away up the stairs. Julius' dad looked over and saw his son on the floor. He was over in a moment to help his son up.

"You alright, son?"

"Yeah dad, I just tripped over Ulysses." Julius got back on his feet. Ulysses liked to stand around and trip Julius. His mum said it was because Julius used to tug his tail when they were babies. Julius looked up at his dad, who still looked concerned. "I'm really fine dad. Are you making breakfast?" His dad smiled at him and ruffled his hair.

"Yes I am. Want some toast?"

"Do you have time to make eggs and bacon?"

"Sorry, I have to be at work early this morning. We have four hearings today."

"Okay dad, I'll just have toast then." Julius was a little disappointed, but his dad was in charge of the Improper Use of Magic Office, so Julius knew he was busy. His dad stood up and put a couple of extra pieces of toast on the fire. A little while later it was done. Fabius handed the toast to his son, who buttered it and started to eat.

"So Julius, today's the big day."

"I know. I can't wait for my letter. Are we going to London today?" Fabius smiled sadly.

"Sorry Julius, but with the hearings I can't go today. And besides, you have school. But tomorrow's Saturday so you and I can go."

"What about mum and Cassie?"

"Of course they're coming too."

"I can't wait to get a wand." Fabius smiled again, more broadly.

"Every kid your age feels the same way. Just don't go using magic all the time with it, or you'll get in trouble." Julius smiled back, rather mischeviously.

"Of course not dad." Fabius ruffled his son's hair again.

"Have a good day son."

"Bye dad." Fabius turned and left the room. Ulysses came back into the room. Julius hopped off the chair he was sitting and started scratching the cat behind the ears. Julius didn't know what to do with himself until his mom got up. He started running around the sitting room. The cat followed him and started to chase him. After a few minutes he stopped running and tried to read a book. That didn't work either. While he was still trying to figure out something to do, he heard footsteps from the stairs. They were too loud to be his sister's. His mother came down the stairs and walked into the sitting room.

"Who's making all that noise?" She was smiling as she said it.

"Sorry mum, I'm excited."

"I would be too if I were you. I think I was that excited when I started."

"When will the owl show up?"

"Not until you get home from school this afternoon. You have an exam today, don't you?"

"I know, I know, I know, but I want my letter."

"Well son, running around waking up your sister won't make it show up any faster. Sit down and have some breakfast."

"I already had breakfast." But he sat down anyway. His mother sat with him and turned on the wireless. It was a news program that Julius didn't care about, so he just leaned back against his mum and tried to relax some more. She stroked his hair while she listened to the news. He was thinking about his letter. Ever since his dad told him about where he'd be going to school when he turned eleven, Julius couldn't wait to go. He liked his friends well enough, including his muggle friends, but he really wanted to learn how to do magic, and he'd still see them around in the village anyway.

Half an hour later, after Cassandra had come downstairs and she and their mum started eating breakfast together, Julius ran upstairs to get his books together and get dressed for school. Julius and his family lived in Puddlemere, which was a village full of wizards that still had plenty of muggles in it. Because of that, there were a number of wizards in the muggle primary schools and they almost all knew how to dress like muggles. Julius' dad had told him that a lot of wizards had no idea how to dress like muggles, but his dad had made the entire family learn how to fit in to muggle society. Julius pulled on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt that had a logo for a muggle band he didn't know. Julius liked The Weird Sisters, but his dad always said that they were a wizarding band and he couldn't let the muggles know. So he was wearing one for some band called Iron Maiden instead.

By the time Julius made it back downstairs, his mum was waiting to take the two of them to school. She smiled at him and they left the house. The Knights lived close to the village square so when Julius walked out he saw a large crowd walked in the opposite direction as his school. Puddlemere was a village in Dorset that was home to the oldest Quidditch team in Britain and had been home to wizards for at least a thousand years. Wizards as a whole enjoy their tradition, so Puddlemere more closely resembled a village out of the 19th century than the 1990s. The houses were old and rustic and the roads were dirt, not tarmac like in muggle areas. This was all lost on Julius, who had not studied the differences between wizard and muggle villages. What he did notice was the way people dressed. Julius had muggle friends and his dad had muggle friends and insisted that Julius learn how to dress like a muggle. He, in his sweat shirt and jeans, looked fairly normal. The school in the village didn't have a uniform because some of the wizards were so terrible at dressing like muggles. Julius had seen wizard boys dress in the girls' uniforms and vice versa, and the school had eventually eliminated the uniforms. As he walked to school with his mother and sister today, he saw dozens of people going the other way dressed in a truly strange assortment of close. The muggles of the village were dressed plainly enough, but many of the wizards immediately stood out in the crowd.

Julius saw a man wearing thigh-high fishing boots and a smoking jacket, a woman wearing knickerbockers and a rubber raincoat, a second man wearing a woman's nightshirt, and a third man wearing, and Julius did a small double take, a flowery apron over what looked like an American football uniform. Julius didn't know much about the game, but he had seen pictures of American footballers in their padding and helmets, and this man was wearing all of that. He had to fight not to laugh at the man. After that, the rest of the trip to school was just boring.

School itself was boring that day too. Julius was a very good student, but he wasn't really interested in muggle school subjects. He got good marks in them, but he was having trouble focusing because he was waiting for his letter to show up. He wanted his letter because he wanted to go to Hogwarts. It was his dream to be headmaster someday, but that couldn't happen before his letter came. He almost got in trouble three times during the day when he got called on and couldn't answer the question. It was wonderful when the school day ended and he met his mum outside the school building. She smiled at him.

"How was school today?"

"It was okay. My—"

"No, it didn't. Let's get home so you don't miss it." The three of them walked home. Julius' dad wasn't home yet, but they had barely walked in the door when a tawny owl came flying through the window. It landed on the kitchen table and Julius ran right up to it. It stuck out its foot and he grabbed the letter from it. It was a thick parchment envelope with writing in green ink:

Mr. J. Knight

The Kitchen

6 Wadcock Walk

Puddlemere

Dorset

Julius turned to his mother.

"Is this it?" She grinned at him.

"Yes it is. Go ahead, open it." Julius tore open the envelope and removed two sheets of parchment from inside. He started to read it, then realized he had it upside down. He turned it over.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL

of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

(_Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,_

_Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_

Dear Mr. Knight,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than January 31.

Yours Sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall,

_Deputy Headmistress_

Julius could hardly contain his excitement. He read the second piece of parchment.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL

Of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

UNIFORM

First-year students will require:

Three sets of plain work robes (black)

One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)

One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)

Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags

COURSE BOOKS

All students should have a copy of each of the following:

_The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)_

By Miranda Goshawk

_A History of Magic_ by Bathilda Bagshot

_Magical Theory_ by Adalbert Waffling

_A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration_ by Emeric Switch

_One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi_

By Phyllida Spore

_Magical Draughts and Potions_ by Arsenius Jigger

_Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_

By Newt Scamander

_The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection_

By Quentin Trimble

OTHER EQUIPMENT

1 wand

1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)

1 set glass or crystal phials

1 telescope

1 set brass scales

Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS

Julius read the letter three more times before he looked up. It was finally here. He was really going to Hogwarts. His mother was smiling down at him.

"Well? Was it worth waiting for?" Julius smiled back.

"Yes it was." Cassandra shuffled around from behind their mother's legs.

"Mum, when do I get my letter?"

"When you turn eleven, dear."

"Mum, is Julius going to go away now?" Julius went over and put his arm around her.

"Not until the fall, Cassie. Don't worry; you'll be there before you know it." She sniffled and looked like she was about to cry.

"B-b-b-but I want to go with you."

"Sorry Cassie, but you can't go until you turn eleven. It's only three years." A few tears started falling. "I'll write to you every day, okay?" She sniffed again.

"You promise?" Julius nodded. Cassie gave him a watery smile.

Julius calmed down a bit after he had read his letter. He was able to focus enough to read some of his homework until his dad got home. When Fabius got home, Julius showed him the letter. He was just as pleased as Julius was and promised that the family would go to London the next day to buy all the supplies he would need for school. Julius spent most of the rest of the day playing in the back garden to work off some energy. After it got dark and he had tired himself out, he read some more homework until he went to bed. And then, for the first time in weeks, Julius Knight fell asleep immediately.

**Author's Note-**

**This marks my first departure from canon. Extremely observant readers will note two changes to the letter Julius received. Number one is that I didn't include the signed line of Prof. McGonagall's name, because I don't know how to or if I can do that on . Number two is that on the requirements list I didn't include the 1 wizard's hat. That's because I think the hats are stupid, so I'm doing my best to ignore them outright. Enjoy chapter two.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**More Dark Wizards than any Other**

The next day, Julius woke up just as early as the previous day, even though it was a Saturday. Like the previous day, he ran downstairs to see if he was up before his father. Also like the previous day, he was not. Unlike the previous day, however, his father was not making His father was instead sitting in front of the fireplace, talking to the head of a woman Julius did not recognize. Julius had seen his dad talk to people like this several times before, but it was still very strange. His dad sounded angry.

"…Already said I wasn't coming in today, Bones."

"We need you, Knight. We had seven cases of underage magic yesterday and we need to set up times for hearings."

"Mafalda can handle it. I'm going to London with my family."

"I would have thought your job was more important to you than this, Knight." She sounded bemused. When his father answered, his voice was cold.

"You thought wrong Madam. Goodbye." His father stood up and pointed his wand at the fire, which went out. The woman's head vanished. Fabius turned and saw his son.

"Sorry about that, Julius. Madam Bones wants me to work today."

"Why did she say that your job was more important than us?" His father sighed.

"Julius, that is a serious conversation that I'd rather not have today. Do you think you can wait until tomorrow for the explanation?" Julius frowned.

"I guess so, dad." Fabius smiled, but it was weak and he looked tired. Julius thought he looked like an old man.

"Maybe you should go wake up your mother and sister so we can get going. I'll make some eggs and bacon while you're up there." Julius couldn't help but smile at that. He loved eggs and bacon and, in his opinion, his dad made them better than anyone. He ran back upstairs to wake up Cassie and his mum. Half an hour later they were all downstairs and ready to leave for London. Cassie looked confused. As they walked out to the street, she spoke up.

"Dad, how are we getting to London?"

"Why, we're taking the bus, of course." She still looked confused, but before she could say anything else, Julius' father had pulled out his wand and pointed it straight out. There was a loud bang, and Julius had to fight back a shout of surprise as a triple decker, dark purple bus appeared out of seemingly nowhere. The name printed on it read _The Knight Bus_. Cassie wasn't able to hold her surprise. She screamed and stumbled backwards a couple of steps. Julius caught her before she fell over. She looked up at him and smiled. The door of the bus opened and a young witch in purple appeared in the doorway. She was holding a card and not looking at them. She looked like she was just out school.

"Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. Just stick out your wand hand, step on board, and we can take you anywhere you want to go. My name is Sarah Hammond and I will be your conductor this morning." She didn't look up. Julius' father answered her.

"Four to London."

"That'll be three galleons and one sickle, s—" her voice trailed off as she finally looked up from the card. "Oh, Mr. Knight! I'm sorry, I didn't realize—"

"Not a problem, Miss Hammond." She stepped aside and waved for them to enter.

"Please Mr. Knight, come aboard. Is this your family?"

"It is. This is my wife Verbena, my son Julius, and my daughter Cassandra." He turned to face them. "I got Sarah her job here on the bus." Cassie still looked puzzled as they sat down.

"But why don't we have to pay?"

"Cassandra, dear, did you see the name on the front of the bus?"

"Yes. It was called the Knight bus." Fabius smiled down at her.

"Where do you think that name came from?"

"Is it from our family?"

"It is. Your great-great-grandfather Octavius paid for the service to be set up, so the Knights never have to pay to ride. Plus, we usually have a lot of pull when it comes to hiring the new people. Sarah here knew your Aunt Lyssie when they were at school." Sarah nodded and interrupted.

"I did. She was always good to me, even though I was in Hufflepuff and even though I was four years behind her." Cassie was apparently satisfied by all this explanation, because she didn't say anything after that.

They rode most of the way to London in silence. Julius was looking out the window, amazed by the way the scenery seemed to jump out of the way as they drove. Eventually he started to nod off in his chair. He didn't know when he fell asleep, but he knew he must have because he felt his mother's hand on his shoulder some time later and heard her say "Julius, wake up, we're here." They all thanked Sarah and got off the Knight bus, which vanished almost immediately. They were standing in front of an old, run-down building with lettering above the door that spelled out "THE LEAKY CAULDRON." Fabius ushered the family inside the almost empty building, where an old man greeted him.

"Ah, Mr. Knight. Can I help you with anything today?"

"No thanks Tom, we're just passing through to Diagon Alley. My son is starting at Hogwarts this fall, you see." Julius noticed that the building looked like it was a pub, so he assumed that Tom must have been the barman or the owner, or perhaps both. Tom looked at him and grinned. He had no teeth, which made Julius a little uncomfortable.

"I see. Splendid, splendid. Well, have a good day in Diagon Alley, Mr. Knight." Fabius thanked him and they all walked through the pub and out the back. Julius had never been here before, but his father had talked about it before. Fabius touched a brick in the wall they were facing with his wand, and Julius found himself, for the second time that day, biting back a gasp of surprise as the wall seemed to melt away, revealing a crowded street behind it. Also for the second time that day, Cassie failed to do the same thing, and screamed in surprise. She didn't fall backwards this time, but she still caught Julius' eye and smiled at him again, looking rather embarrassed. Julius smiled back. People made fun of Cassie sometimes for being so excitable, but never when Julius was around. He occasionally made fun of her for the same thing, but they both knew that he was the only one allowed to do that.

Fabius ushered them down the street where Julius saw the most amazing collection of shops around. He saw cauldrons, books, animals, all kinds of food, and wizards and witches dressed in robes of all colors and sizes, though most of them were bundled up against the cold. Fortunately it wasn't snowing that day, though the remnants of the last snow were still on the ground. Now, instead of containing his surprise, he had to contain his excitement. Predictably, Cassie didn't. She squealed with delight and ran towards an animal shop where there was a cage full of cats out in front. Julius' mother sighed and looked at his father.

"Do you want to get her dear, or should I?" She sounded exasperated, but she was smiling.

"Why don't you get her, and I'll take Julius to get fitted for robes?"

"Alright. We'll meet you at Rosa Lee's in an hour then?"

"Wouldn't miss it, love." He kissed her on the cheek and she walked off. Julius looked up at his father expectantly. "Come on, son. Let's go to Madam Malkin's and get your school robes. I expect you'll need a set big enough for a second year at least." Julius grinned and followed his father down the street. He liked being so big for his age, especially when people did forget that no one but him was allowed to pick on Cassie.

It only took them a few minutes to get to the robe shop. As they reached the door, they passed a nervous-looking couple who were waiting in the street. When they entered, Madam Malkin greeted them and took their traveling cloaks. She was a short woman with deep pink robes and grey hair.

"What can I get you today, Mr. Knight?" He gestured at Julius.

"My son here needs his school robes. Can you get him fitted?"

"Naturally, naturally. Right this way, my boy." She led him to a quiet spot in the back of the shop where she took a set of robes off the shelf and had Julius put it on. Julius looked around and noticed that there was one other person getting fitted for robes. It was a girl who looked like she was the same age as Julius. She had very bushy brown hair and large front teeth. Next to her was a large bag full to the top with thick books. Before Julius could introduce himself, Madam Malkin pulled the robes off of him and said "No no, too small. Going to have to get you a set for second years. Wait here for a moment, dear." She walked off. When she had left, Julius took the opportunity to turn to the other girl, who he noticed looked a bit nervous, like she was overwhelmed by everything around her.

"Hello there, what's your name?" She jumped a little and looked at him.

"M-my name is Hermione Granger. What's yours?"

"Julius Knight. Are you getting fitted for your school robes too?"

"Oh yes. I'm ever so excited to be going to Hogwarts. This is the first chance my family has had to come to London since we got my letter back in September. I'm…oh, what's the term? Muggle-born, that's it. I'm a muggle-born, so my parents had no idea where we were supposed to go or even what magic was. I'm spending the day here getting all my supplies and my books. My parents are outside waiting for me to get fitted. What about you?" She spoke very quickly, almost too quickly for Julius to keep up. He went back over what she said in his head before he answered.

"I'm here with my family too. We just got my letter yesterday because my birthday was this week. Of course, my parents knew all about it, because they're a witch and wizard too."

"Oh that sounds very exciting. Since I found out about Hogwarts I wondered what it would have been like to have parents who were magic as well. I've been reading a bit about Hogwarts since we got here today. Is it true that there are four houses that they divide the students in to?" At this point, Madam Malkin returned with a different set of robes that she pulled on to Julius. She started pinning them around his ankles to get them to the right length, but she still seemed unsatisfied.

"No, still too small. Need to get one bigger around the shoulders." She pulled the robes off him again and walked off. Julius turned back to Hermione and answered her as though they hadn't been interrupted.

"Yes, there are four houses. Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin."

"Oooh, I hope I'm not in Slytherin. Everything I've read about them makes them sound awful. I read that all the worst dark wizards came from Slytherin." Julius blinked and didn't answer. When he did, he realized his voice sounded rather cold.

"My whole family has been in Slytherin, and I don't think they're awful." Hermione turned the same shade as Madam Malkin's robes and didn't answer. Julius was going to say something else, but them Madam Malkin returned again holding a third set of robes. She pulled it over Julius' head and pinned the legs again. This time she was apparently satisfied, because she pulled them off him and said "these are alright dear. Let's go find your father so he can pay for them. They walked back to the front of the shop, leaving Hermione looking no less embarrassed.

They found Fabius talking with another man who had come into the shop while they were waiting. Julius didn't catch most of their conversation, but he did hear his father call the man what sounded like "Boot." Madam Malkin addressed Fabius and they started talking about what must have been the price of the robes. Julius wasn't paying attention. He was getting rather angry about what Hermione had said about Slytherin being awful. His father had been in Slytherin, as had his mother and both his aunts. He liked all of them very much and certainly didn't think they were awful people. Had Slytherin really turned out all the worst dark wizards? He heard a voice that sounded like it was coming from a great distance away.

"…to leave now?" He realized it was his father.

"What?"

"I said that I've bought your robes and are you ready to leave now?"

"Oh…yes. Sorry." They walked out. They walked a short way down the street until they reached a bench. Fabius stopped and motioned for Julius to sit on the bench, which he did. Fabius sat next to him.

"What's the matter, son?"

"What do you mean?"

"Julius, you're my son. I know you well enough to know when you're upset. What happened in that shop?" Julius didn't answer for a while. He was trying to find the right words to voice what was worrying him.

"Dad, there was a girl in there who said that Slytherin was awful. Why would someone say that?" Fabius sighed.

"Son, do you remember this morning when I told you that I would tell you later about Madam Bones?"

"Yes. What does that—"

"Well, we have some time before we're going to meet your mother at the tea shop. Do you want me to tell you now?"

"I guess so, but what—"

"Julius, let me tell you the history of Slytherin House."

**Author's Note-**

**Yes, I had him meet Hermione in the robe shop. Yes, I probably had to play a little loose with canon to do it, because her birthday is in September and Julius' is in January. But I do want to have something to indicate that this is indeed happening concurrent with canon, so little splashes like that will happen so that I don't have to keep randomly shoving in OCs. **

**Two other things. One, I initially considered having Nymphadora Tonks be the conductor on the Knight Bus, but the timeline wasn't quite right and it seemed like a bit of a stretch to me.**

**Two: I'm not doing any sort of promotion of this story beyond posting it here, which means I'm relying entirely on word-of-mouth to spread it around. I'm rather lousy at self-promotion, you see. Not to sound like every other fanfic writer out there, but please, share this with people if you enjoy it. Also if it's not too much trouble, try to take the time to review it. I welcome feedback, both positive and negative (unless your negative feedback is just to insult me rather than to criticize and suggest ways to improve). That's all for now, I s'pose. Hope you enjoyed Chapter 3, and I'm sorry it took so long.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**The Wand Shop**

Julius stared at the ground. He had a cold feeling in the pit of his stomach. He had always been told to be proud of Slytherin House, because all of his family had been in it. His dad had always told him that many great wizards had come out of Slytherin. Now he heard from a muggle-born who barely knew about Hogwarts that Slytherin had a horrible reputation. He had nothing against muggle-borns, but by nature they lacked knowledge of the wizarding world. That meant that the first thing muggle-borns learned about Slytherin was that it had a terrible reputation for turning out dark wizards. He started to feel heat rising in his face, even in the cold winter air. Why had his father never told him? It seemed like the sort of thing he should have mentioned. Julius looked up. His father looked tired and rather sad. Julius spoke first. He heard a bit of anger creeping into his voice.

"Why would a muggle-born not know anything about Slytherin except that it has a bad reputation? How did it get a bad reputation?" His father sighed.

"Julius, you have to understand something. Every member of our family going back almost 1000 years has been in Slytherin. I would guess you are going to be as well. Tell me something. Am I a dark wizard?"

"No, but—" His father cut across him. He did this sort of thing often, rapidly asking Julius several questions to test his knowledge and speed.

"Is your mother?"

"No, but—"

"Are either of your aunts?"

"No, but—"

"What about your grandparents?"

"Not on your side. But mom's—"

"So is everyone who comes out of Slytherin a dark wizard?"

"Of course not."

"Exactly."

"But why would a muggle-born—"

"Answer me another question. What are the personality traits that make a person a Slytherin?"

"Ambition, cunning, and resourcefulness," Julius answered automatically. His father had been telling him that for years.

"Good job." Julius was starting to get annoyed. Why wouldn't his father just answer his question? As if he had been reading Julius' mind, his father asked him another question.

"What does it mean to be ambitious?"

"It means you have a goal. An aspiration. Something you want to accomplish that makes you stand out."

"As good an answer as I've ever heard. And that is why Slytherin has such a strong reputation for dark wizardry. It attracts people who desire power and positions of power. And that sort of desire for power can easily become a bad thing. Many Slytherins turned to the dark arts as a shortcut to power."

"But you didn't, and you're powerful." Julius felt a weight lift off his heart. What his father was saying made some sense. He heard his father laugh.

"I'm not that powerful, son. Though I do still like to think of myself as ambitious. But you're right on one count. I've never turned to the dark arts to help me on my way. But you need to understand, Julius, that many of the most famous Slytherins were dark wizards. Several members of the Blacks. The entire Gaunt family. And, of course, You-Know-Who himself is supposed to have come out of Slytherin. And many of his Death Eaters certainly did."

"But why didn't you ever tell me any of this?" The smile disappeared from his father's face.

"Because I didn't want you to grow up ashamed of Slytherin House. Many great wizards have come out of my House. Merlin himself was in Slytherin when he was at Hogwarts. I was worried that, if you thought that Slytherin was a house full of dark wizards, you would try to be sorted into a different house." He sighed again. Julius felt his face flush. He had nearly gotten angry with his father because his father was trying to make him happy.

"Don't worry dad, I'm going to be in Slytherin, and I'm not going to be a dark wizard either. And I'm going to be headmaster one day and I'm going to make people stop hating Slytherin!" His father laughed again and ruffled Julius' hair.

"I have no doubt you will, son. Now, let's go meet your mother for tea. I'm getting rather cold." They got up and walked to Rosa Lee Teabag. It was a small, warm building with a few tables scattered around. They saw Julius' mother and sister immediately and sat down to join them. His mother was sipping some tea and Cassie was eating some biscuits hungrily. His mother smiled down at him, but before she could say anything, Rosa Lee walked over to them. She was a short woman, not much taller than Julius, but rather plump. She beamed at them and started to speak to them in a thick cockney accent.

"Can I get you both anything?" His father answered.

"Two teas. Peachtrees if you have it."

"We do sir. Be right back with them." She walked away. Julius loved Peachtrees Fizzing Tea. It was his favorite, but they never had any extra because it was his father's favorite too. Now that Rosa Lee was gone, his mother had her chance to speak.

"Did you find your robes alright?" Julius nodded vigorously.

"I had to get sets for second years because I'm so tall."

"I did too, when I started. Of course, I ended up as one of the tallest girls in the school by the time I finished. You're going to end up much bigger than your classmates, I'm sure. You'll probably need adult robes by your fourth year."

"You really think so, mum?" She laughed. Julius was glad his parents laughed all the time. He knew some other children his age whose parents were really strict and boring. His parents could be strict and expected a lot out of him, especially in his studies, but they were always laughing and telling jokes. They were bad jokes, but it was something at least. Rosa Lee soon returned with the tea and Julius began to drink it. As he did, his parents started to talk about what they were going to do for the rest of the day.

"…Well I think the next stop should be Ollivander's," said his father.

"I agree. Flourish and Blotts can wait until last. That should give Julius enough time to read half the books by the time we get home." She laughed again and patted his hand. Julius rolled his eyes. His parents could be so silly sometimes. The continued their conversation while Julius drank his tea and split some of the biscuits with Cassie. About ten minutes later, his father stood up and paid Rosa Lee. Julius, his sister, and his mother followed his father out of the café and down the street towards a small shop labeled "Ollivanders Wand Shop." Julius's father smiled down at him as he opened the door.

"Are you ready to get your wand, son?" Julius nodded vigorously once more and walked into the shop. He saw a man he assumed was Mr. Ollivander reorganizing some boxes on a shelf. He was an old man, slightly stooped with very wide, bright eyes. He looked at Julius, then his father, then his mother and sister, then back at Julius. He spoke in a somewhat thin voice, but he sounded excited.

"Ah, another Knight, I see. Starting at Hogwarts this year, are you?" Julius nodded.

"Yes sir."

"It seems like only yesterday I had your father in here buying his own wand. Cypress and unicorn hair, 9 ¾ inches, if I'm not mistaken." Julius' father nodded.

"As I recall, you're never mistaken." He gave them a small smile and looked at Julius.

"I remember every wand I've ever sold. Your mother," he said as he gestured at her, "for example, has an 11 ¼ inch wand of poplar and phoenix feather. It was the very first wand she tried out when she came in here. It chose her almost immediately." Upon seeing Julius' confused look, he added "the wand chooses the wizard, my boy."

Julius was still confused, but didn't say anything to him. Instead he waited while Mr. Ollivander pulled a few boxes off the shelves and started stacking them on the counter.

"Here my boy, try this one," he said, handing a wand to Julius. "Beech and unicorn hair, 8 inches, unyielding." Julius took it and swung it around. Nothing happened. The wand felt powerless in his hand. Mr. Ollivander must have noticed, because he took it back and took out a different wand.

"Now try this. 9 ½ inches, blackthorn and dragon heartstring." Julius took it, and this time he felt a small surge go through the wand, but still nothing happened when he waved it. Mr. Ollivander took that one back as well and handed him another one.

"11 inches, holly and phoenix feather. Try it." Julius took it, but Mr. Ollivander immediately took it back. He pulled a fourth wand out.

"This one might work. 12 inches, ebony and dragon heartstring. Very stiff." He handed it to Julius. Julius felt a jolt go down his arm and into the wand. He gave it a flick and, to his amazement, the box it had come in turned into a boxer dog. Cassie gave a small yelp and Mr. Ollivander looked delighted before he took out his own wand and turned it back into a box.

"Oh I had hoped someone might come in here to purchase that wand. I've been trying to sell it for years, you see. Ebony is a unique wood, and wands made of ebony do not choose witches and wizards lightly. That particular wand is one of the best wands I have ever created for transfiguration. I have a feeling we can expect great things from you, my boy." Julius didn't know what to say to that, so he didn't say anything. His father spoke up and offered to pay. Julius waved the wand around some more. It felt like he had been using it his whole life. It felt right. He felt a tap on his shoulder and they left the shop. Julius heard his parents talking to his sister, but he didn't pay attention. He was too absorbed with trying out his new wand. He was sending sparks everywhere around the street and almost lit a few things on fire. He managed to not do so before they reached the apothecary.

The rest of the trip through London was rather dull. They bought him a pewter cauldron, some brass scales and crystal phials (Julius wanted glass, but his father insisted that crystal would last longer and be more durable) and potion supplies. They bought a telescope. His father offered to buy him an owl, but Julius said he would use school owls when he was sending letters. They bought his books, but he didn't really pay attention and figured he would read them later. He knew he would have them all read by the time he left for Hogwarts in September. He spent most of the rest of the day thinking about his time in the shop. Mr. Ollivander had said they could expect great things out of him. Now, of course he wanted to be the headmaster when he grew up, but he didn't think there was anything especially great about him. Sure he was tall, but of course being tall wasn't a mark of greatness. Was it the wand? It couldn't be. It was just a wand. Wands didn't make people great. He shook his head every time he thought about this. Mr. Ollivander was probably just trying to make him feel good about himself.

The trip back to Puddlemere was uneventful. Sarah Hammond made the same mistake on the return trip that she had made on the trip there, and Cassie didn't yelp when the bus arrived this time. Julius read half of _One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi_ on the trip. Literally, as he had just finished reading entry number 500 when they arrived at home. He almost burned his book because he was idly tapping away with his wand the entire time. When they got home, Cassie was tired enough to go to bed, and Verbena went to tuck her in, leaving Julius and Fabius alone in the sitting room.

"Dad, do you have any advice for me for when I go to school?"

"I do son. Take lots of notes. Take them wherever you need to. Use parchment, use your book, borrow something from a friend if you need to. You can never have too many notes."

"Really?"

"That's what I did, and I got ten N.E.W.T.s."

"Wow. What else?"

"Remember Julius, never be ashamed of your house. It doesn't matter to me what house you're put in, but if you are in Slytherin then people might look down on you. Not on Slytherin, on you personally. Don't pay attention to them. Your abilities and your choices matter more than your house at school. Slytherin is a great house, but it can only be one by having great people. Be one of those great people."

"Wow. Thanks dad. I'll do my best." And he meant it.

**Author's Note(s)-**

**First of all, sorry about the lengthy period between posts. Life happens. I've been busy with work and just some general transitioning type stuff as I adjust to being out of college and working 40 hours a week (it's mostly work).**

**Second, yes, that was Harry's eventual wand I had him try out.**

**Third, who knows why Ollivander said we can expect great things out of him? Is it because he genuinely sees potential in him? Is it because, even though Julius isn't any kind of chosen one, I need significant things to happen to him and for him to do significant things for the sake of having an interesting narrative? Is it because Ollivander senses that Julius is going to end up an awful, horrendous Marty Stu of a main character (hopefully not, and call me out on it if that's where it seems like I'm going)? Or, does Ollivander just say that to everyone to freak them out? Who can say?**

**And last but not least, this has nothing to do with the chapter, but it is something I've been wondering about, and maybe my UK readers (if I have any) can help me out here. Fred and George Weasley aspire to open a joke shop. Zonko's joke shop exists in Hogsmeade. Are there actually places in any of the UK where you can just buy prank supplies, or is it just that Mrs. Rowling must really enjoy practical jokes?**

**That's all for now. Enjoy, and hopefully it won't be a month and a half before the next chapter. I don't have my copy of ****_Philosopher's Stone_**** (or ****_Sorcerer's Stone_****, because I have the American edition even though I KNOW WHAT THE FREAKING PHILOSOPHER'S STONE IS THANK YOU VERY MUCH PUBLISHER) in front of me, but I think Julius is ahead of Harry. I don't think he made it to Ollivander's until like, chapter 7 or 8.**

**[Obligatory self-promotion here: Review and Share this thing. I don't like doing this, but I do like feedback.]**


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